United States Attorney D. Michael Hurst, Jr.

Southern District of Mississippi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: SHEILA WILBANKS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019 PHONE: (601) 965-4480
https://www.justice.gov/sdms

U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and U.S. Marshal Mark Shepherd Announce
Results of Recent U.S. Marshals-Led Operation
to Combat Violent Crime in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Miss. – U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and U.S. Marshal Mark Shepherd today
announced the results of a recent U.S. Marshals-led anti-violent crime operation in the City of
Jackson.

From December 17-20, 2019, the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task
Force, with direction from Deputy Commander Mike Quarles and led locally by Inspector Carlos
Cosby, conducted an extensive multi-level law enforcement operation targeting violent crime in
the Capitol City. The operation included officers from Jackson Police Department, as well as the
police departments of Pearl, Ridgeland, Madison, Richland, Biloxi and Vicksburg, as well as
sheriff’s offices from Hinds, Rankin, Madison, Harrison, Jackson, and Leake Counties. The
Operation also included state law enforcement officers from the Mississippi Highway Patrol,
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Mississippi Departments of Corrections. The U.S.
Marshals Service for the Western District of Louisiana also participated in the operation.

“After a recent uptick in violent crime in the City of Jackson during the first week of
December, I reached out to the U.S. Marshals and they did not hesitate to come to the aid of the
citizens of Jackson. I appreciate and commend the U.S. Marshals and their law enforcement
partners for acting so swiftly and decisively in getting murderers, sex offenders, arsonists, and
other violent criminals off our streets. Because of their actions, and the work of their state and
local partners, the citizens of Jackson are safer today. I look forward to our office prosecuting as
many of these violent criminals as we have jurisdiction over, so that they will not be re-released
quickly back on the streets to terrorize our people,” said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.

“The U.S. Attorney reached out to us and we were more than happy to assist in
apprehending these violent criminals and cleaning up the streets of Jackson. This is who the U.S.
Marshals are and this is what we do. We will continue to work with the Jackson Police
Department and our other local, state and federal partners to ensure that all Mississippians are
safe and justice is done,” said U.S. Marshal Shepherd.

The four-day operation concluded with 26 arrests and the recovery of stolen vehicles and
firearms, as well as the seizure of illegal drugs and guns off the streets of Jackson.

Since December 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has led Project EJECT, a holistic,
multi-disciplinary initiative under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods
(PSN) and Project Guardian. Project EJECT seeks to fight and reduce violent crime through
prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel
Crime Together.” Project EJECT includes the Jackson Police Department, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement
Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, along with state law enforcement, to combat
violent crime in Jackson. In its first year, approximately120 violent criminals were indicted in
the City of Jackson, 90% of whom were detained after arrest while awaiting their trial, and
resulted in almost 100 guns being taken off the streets of Jackson. The end result was that
Jackson’s overall violent crime rate fell 7% in 2018, which translates into approximately 108
fewer victims of violent crime in Jackson last year.

For Fiscal Year 2019, approximately 88 individuals were indicted under Project EJECT,
resulting in approximately 85 illegal guns being taken off the streets of Jackson, and almost 8 of
10 individuals arrested were detained until their trial date.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its partners continue to work on prevention of crime
through presentations to children in the Jackson Public School system and local nonprofits.
Project EJECT partners are also helping recently-released offenders reenter society through job
and resource fairs. And, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has started a public awareness campaign
throughout its EJECT partners cities with simple messages that violent crime leads to federal
prison time.

Below is a list of those who were arrested during the U.S. Marshal’s Gulf Coast Regional
Fugitive Task Force’s recent operation in the City of Jackson:

NAME AGE CHARGE RESIDENCE

Allyson Johnson 29 Capital Murder Jackson
Desmond Boothe 19 Murder Jackson
Tatayana Mack 19 Murder Jackson
Jessica Barnes 27 Accessory after the fact/ Murder Jackson
Tijuana Collins 39 Arson Jackson
Darniel Clemmons 40 Failure to Register/ Sex offender Jackson
Bill Ellis 30 Fed Felon in possession of a Firearm Jackson
Marlandow Johnson 45 Fed Felon in possession of a Firearm Jackson
Tracey Brown 47 Hindering Prosecution Jackson
Thomas W. Johnson 33 Possession w/intent to Distribute Jackson
Robert Butler 30 Assault Jackson
George Thomas 41 Federal Probation Jackson
Brad Ringgold 19 Armed Robbery Jackson
Timothy T Lewis 41 Possession/ Controlled Substance Jackson
Dana Harvey 43 Probation Violation/ State Jackson
Rebecca B. Reese 44 Aggravated Assault Jackson
Gary Womack 22 Armed Robbery Jackson
Howard B. Blackman 44 Probation Violation Byram
Ashley Brinkman 21 Probation Violation Byram
Trenton McCray 37 Auto theft Pearl
Thomas D. Funchess 27 Auto theft/Assault Jackson
Jerry Deunta Course 29 Auto Theft Jackson
Jerell Lamont Lynch 22 Convicted Felon/Poss. Of Firearm Jackson
Shaquille Lewis 25 Possession of Stolen Firearm Jackson

Two minors were also arrested for armed robbery. Their names are not being released at this time.

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